“Registration is to your left..”

by hillarymay

I am incredibly exhausted. The walk from Union Station to my apartment this evening seemed longer than usual, and my foot continued to hurt. All I wanted to do was make some tea and climb into bed. I did just that, with the courtesy of Real Simple Magazine and a selection of classical music.

I spent most of the day covering the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), in which I was fortunate enough to witness a surprise guest appearance by Dick Cheney as well as hear from speakers such as Tucker Carlson (The Daily Caller), J.D. Hayworth, Erick Erickson (RedState.com) and many more. The conference was a bit overwhelming but it proved to be extremely interesting. I have never been in a crowded ballroom full of passionate conservatives before and it was exciting to witness. With my recorder and badge in hand, I wandered from room to room listening to conversations. It was easy to spot the bloggers on the balcony, eagerly updating whenever a new speaker walked on the stage. By the end, my bag was full of handouts, which I couldn’t refuse whenever I walked past a booth.

What an interesting day. I decided that journalism is rather idyllic. There is never a dull moment; each day is different, and I never know who I’ll wind up meeting or what I’ll be covering. It’s invigorating knowing that I get to experience new things. I am always being stretched, always growing. I’m continually thinking, and I’m being fed information all the time. Covering a story keeps me on my toes, and the nervousness/excitement I feel during it all never seems to get old. If you would of asked me a few years ago if I would be doing this, I would of laughed. I’m finding out, however, that this type of profession fits my personality perfectly. My sister once explained this too me and I’m now beginning to understand.

I am changing, and I’m thankful. I’m establishing something on my own, without familiarity and old comforts, which is what I’ve always wanted to do.